The Sin of Hope
by myshoesarecrocs
Summary: **Ray Route Spoilers! You Have Been Warned!** It had been one year, and he was still missing. Vanished without a trace. While the whole world continued to move on, MC couldn't. Not until he was home safe in her arms. Saeyoung/MC
1. Chapter 1

**This is your last chance to turn back if you haven't done Saeran's route!**

* * *

 _"It's already been one year since the disappearance of Saeyoung Choi, and still, there are no reports on his whereabouts. The twenty-two-year-old from XX City was kidnapped by his father, Saejoon Choi, the former Prime Minister, in order to cover up his blackened past. This is just in time for the presidential elections, coming up this year-"_

"You know, watching the news everyday won't bring him back."

MC bit her lip, tearing her gaze away from the tv in front of her, and sighed as she looked up at the man who'd just spoken. He'd been her rock for the past year, the sole reason she was still sane. They had been through thick and thin together, and she was so thankful to have him, but lately she began to think that even he had given up on finding Saeyoung alive. "I know, but every day that I watch it and don't see his face on the screen, is another day that I know there's still hope he's out there."

Saeran Choi, the twin brother of the missing man, sighed, plopping down on the couch next to her. He was silent for a moment, swirling the ice cream in the bowl that he'd just gotten, around, before saying, "MC…I-"

"Don't say it." She looked away from him, back at the news, which had moved on to a new segment, "Not you. You can't say it."

"I didn't say anything…"

"But I know what you wanted to say. You really gave up, then?" She asked, turning the channel to the guide, "You don't think he's coming back either?"

"No one has given up yet-"

"Don't think I don't know." She turned herself so that she was fully facing him, "Everyone says they think he's still out there, but I know they don't. They've all lost the determination in their words, now they just say them to make me feel better."

Saeran's gaze was mixed with emotions she couldn't place, "Can you blame them for trying to move on? It's been a year, and there's literally no trace of him. We don't even have a place to begin with now that our house burned down."

"Exactly! It's only been a year! That's still within the realm of possibility!" She could feel herself getting worked up again, and took a deep breath to try and calm the rush of emotions pouring over her, "The moment we give up on him is the moment he dies, Saeran."

"Which is why we're not going to." He changed positions so that he was facing her as she was him, "Even if everyone else does, you and I won't, okay?"

MC nodded, "Promise?"

"Promise."

She didn't know when it had happened, really, that she fell in love with Saeyoung Choi. For all intents and purposes, she should have fallen in love with his brother. She'd seen Saeran every day, helped him come to terms with his past and himself, and escaped certain misery with him. However, it had been the witty, hard-working, and cheerful hacker that had won over her heart. She'd done everything she could to escape the Mint Eye to be with him, but when she'd finally done it, he'd been taken away from her. Vanished, without a trace. Saejoon, as a last bit of spite, refused to give any clues to his son's whereabouts. He claimed he didn't know where his men had taken him, but even the government knew that was a lie. The former Prime Minister had been sentenced to life in prison for his crimes, with a smile on his face as he was.

 _"I don't care what you do to me, as long as I know that at least one of those little rats is gone."_

That sentence alone had made half the nation believe Saeyoung was dead, but MC refused to believe it until she actually saw his body. A person couldn't be dead without proof, right? And so far, there was nothing. No shred of evidence leading to Saeyoung at all.

Jumin had suggested that perhaps Saeyoung had escaped and went under the radar. He worked for a high-intelligence agency, and had stated before that it would be no problem for him to disappear. As far as Jumin was concerned, that's what had happened.

But MC still couldn't believe that. She couldn't believe that Saeyoung would just leave without a single word to them. She knew he was capable, but…did he really not care at all for the RFA, or MC? If he cared as much as he'd said, he would have left something behind to say goodbye.

So if he didn't take a new name and location, that only raised one question: where was he?

"MC?"

She snapped out of her thoughts to lift her gaze to Saeran, who had finished his ice cream, "Sorry, what?"

"It's late, you should get some sleep."

"Speak for yourself." She said, resting against the back of the couch, "You haven't been sleeping much, have you?"

He shook his head, mint eyes watching the tv without seeing it, "I've been feeling sentimental since the one-year anniversary of Saeyoung's disappearance is in a couple days."

"I know what you mean." MC said, resting her head on his shoulder, "It's hard to stay in this house with all of his traces here. Knowing this is where he used to live is…"

"I know." Saeran responded after her words trailed off, "I know."

They sat together for another hour, watching a baking show on tv. It was their favorite past time as best friends, watching the baking competitions, ghost hunting, or game shows. They were things that could get their minds off of the realization that Saeyoung would more than likely never come home.

After the current episode ended, MC yawned and stretched, saying, "I think I'm going to bed, Saeran."

"Okay, I'm going to stay up for a bit." He said, pulling the blanket they had been sharing further around himself, "Good night, MC."

She sighed, mussing his hair, "Try to get some sleep, okay?"

"Sure."

With that, she retired to the room she had been staying in. Not long after coming back with the RFA, Jumin had suggested that Saeran and MC live in Saeyoung's house, as that is what he thought Saeyoung would have wanted. When the police were finished with their investigation of the property, Saeran and MC moved in. He'd taken the room he knew had been the spare one, leaving Saeyoung's bedroom for MC.

The first night she'd slept there had been terrible, and if she was being truthfully honest, it still was. The thought that this was the bed he'd slept in, the room he'd tried to relax in, gave her comfort, but also sorrow. The blankets had been pulled back and ruffled the first time she'd ever walked in the room, leaving her to believe it had been from the last time he was in bed. Everything about them smelled like how she imaged he smelled. That one scent that was unique to each individual.

Now, as she lay on the side opposite from the one she suspected he slept on, she tried to imagine that he was lying next to her. With her eyes closed, breathing in the smell of him on his blankets, she could almost believe it.

Almost.

In the morning, she reached over to the other side of the bed as she usually did, hoping for the three hundred and sixtieth time that he would be there, and for the three hundred and sixtieth time, he wasn't.

Saeran was already in the kitchen, pouring himself some cereal. MC squinted at him as her eyes adjusted to the light, "Did you sleep at all?"

"A little." He mumbled.

The dark circles under his eyes begged to differ, but she only said, "Good."

"How about you?"

Her eyes flicked up to his and she said, "A little." He handed her a bowl of cereal, and she noticed a draw string bag propped up against a cabinet, "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yoosung doesn't have classes today," He said between mouthfuls, "so he asked me to come play LOLOL with him."

"That'll be fun." She said with a smile, resting her chin in her hand, "I'm glad you two have gotten close."

"He's a good friend." Saeran said quietly, "What will you do?"

"Hmm." She thought about it, "Maybe I'll go on the computer for a little bit, maybe do some Netflix binging, I don't know yet."

"Do you want me to stay here?" He asked, "I don't want you to be lonely."

"Oh please," She waved her hand in dismissal, "I think I can handle being alone for a day. Go do something for yourself for a change. You don't need to worry about me."

"Doesn't mean that I don't." He finished his cereal, putting the bowl in the sink, "I might be friends with the rest of the RFA now, but you're different. Every day I see you worrying about my brother, and it makes me worried about you, too. If anything ever happened to you…"

"Nothing's going to happen to me." She said softly, knowing he was still afraid that someday she would leave him, "I promised you I wouldn't leave you, and I won't break that promise. You mean a lot to me, Saeran. You're my best friend."

This earned a small smile from him, "It's good hearing you say that."

"I know sometimes I forget that you went through so much. I'm sorry, I'll try to remember to ensure you more from now on." She smiled, "I want you to be able to feel happiness."

"I do whenever you're here, MC." He said, "I couldn't ask for a better sister."

Not long after they had released the evidence on the Prime Minister, Saeran and MC confronted each other on the feelings they felt the other harbored. After both rambling for a few minutes, they realized that there was nothing to worry about. Both of them thought of the other as a best friend and sibling, rather than romantically. It was refreshing for them to know that there wouldn't be any awkwardness between them.

MC waved as Saeran left to head to Yoosung's, wondering what on earth she was going to do that day. She hated being alone, but of course she couldn't tell that to Saeran. He worried too much as it was, and spent most of his time cooped up with her. She wanted him to get out more and spend time with other friends. She was happy Yoosung had invited him to play games. Sometimes she wished one of the RFA members would invite her to do something, too.

But she knew Jumin was always busy with his business, and Jaehee was just as busy with the same thing. Yoosung always played games, which luckily Saeran had gotten into. And Zen was either at rehearsal, or studying his lines _for_ rehearsal. Sometimes she felt like she was an odd egg, like she didn't have a place with the RFA.

Before, during times like this spent at Mint Eye, she could always rely on Saeyoung to cheer her up. Looking back now, she could kick herself knowing that that whole time he was joking around and making her feel better, he was really hurting. He busied himself with lifting others up, to distract himself from the darkness he was sinking into.

Like she'd done so many times before, she opened the door to his computer room, the place where she knew he spent most of his time. It was dark now, but she knew it was probably bathed in the light of computer screens at one time. Dust had collected on the desk, along with the monitors and other things cluttered on top of it. She pulled the computer chair out from the desk and sat down, observing the computer screens just as Saeyoung must have done. The keys on the keyboard in front of her were worn from years of his rapid-fire typing, the mouse shiny in the spots his hand gripped.

Tears burned at the back of her throat, and she stood up to leave.

The house was too silent to her, so she padded across the kitchen, to the living room, turning the tv on to form some sort of noise. The food channel was still on from last night, so she left it and opened her laptop to check her Fakebook.

The first thing she saw, was a selfie of a bright and cheerful Yoosung pressing his face against a stoic Saeran. Any normal person might think he was bored, but MC knew that he struggled with expressing his emotions. She knew deep down, that Saeran was happy to be there.

After sifting through a barrage of Zen's selfies, she found a picture of Jaehee's lunch. It didn't look half bad today, so she liked the photo. Surprisingly, she didn't see a photo update of Elizabeth the 3rd from Jumin.

After checking Fakebook, she closed the laptop and placed it on the coffee table. She drifted to sleep after trying to watch more of the baking competition, and jolted awake when she heard the door open. Sitting up, she saw Saeran hanging up his jacket in the hallway, and said, "Hey Saeran, back so soon?"

"Yeah, Yoosung's mom called and said she's coming over tomorrow. So he's currently cleaning up his place." He swept into his room, and then back out into the living room.

"Did you have fun gaming?" She folded her legs so he could sit down next to her, "Any good raids?"

"We did get some pretty cool armor, but the day didn't result in much else than that." He groaned as he sat down, "My eyes are tired from looking at the computer screen all day. Sometimes I wonder how I did it before."

"Maybe because you were drugged." MC suggested.

"You're probably right." He grimaced, pointing at the episode on tv, "I've seen this one already."

MC turned it to the guide, "Did you eat already?"

"Yoosung and I ordered out. Did you?"

"I had leftovers." She lied. These days she didn't have much of an appetite.

MC saw the news channel pop up, and the nightly news was playing. She instinctively reached to turn it on, but remembered what Saeran had said the night before. _"You know watching the news every day won't bring him back."_ Biting the inside of her cheek, she watched it scroll past.

Suddenly her phone started vibrating, and ringing a tune made out of cat meows that she'd set for Jumin. MC glanced at the time, it was six o'clock. Maybe Jumin wanted to invite them for dinner like he did every now and then.

She hit the green answer button, "Hey Jumin!"

"MC, have you seen the news?" He asked in a rush, his voice way more excited than it normally was.

She glanced at Saeran, who was looking at her curiously, "No, why?"

"Where are you right now?"

"At home with Saeran," She answered, sitting up, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Driver Kim and I are on our way to get you." He said, "Be ready when we arrive."

"Jumin, what's going on?" She demanded, her hand fumbling for the remote. She punched in the numbers of the news channel, which she had memorized long ago, "Where are we going?"

"MC," He said, and at the same time the news channel popped up, 'Breaking News' scrolling across the top, "they found him."

Saeran leapt to his feet the moment he saw what was on the television. MC nearly dropped the phone as her stomach lurched and tears sprang to her eyes. It was the broadcast she had been hoping for, for the past year. The Breaking News, the excited news anchors, and the image of a man with vermillion hair.

"They found Saeyoung, alive."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Woohoo, I'm 707 trash and can't handle the fact that the After Story isn't available yet! The first time I played Ray's Route, I got a normal ending, so here I was thinking all would be resolved with the Good End, BUT IT WASN'T HAHAHA. Thanks Cheritz…thanks.**_

 _ **So in the meantime, because I cannot deal with the fact that my precious boy is STILL MISSING, I decided to make my own happiness. Hopefully, maybe, it might be a little for you too!**_

 _ **I know, I know, this route and ending are for Saeran, but since I have another Saeran story already up, I'm romancing my main man again. No shame, no regrets. It might be the "main stream" thing to do, but I will always love 707 more than anyone else, even Zen, who was my first MM love. I just can't help myself.**_

 _ **Also, I'm pretty sure they said that the Prime Minister's name was Saejoon, but I can't remember for the life of me. I'm sticking to it.**_

 _ **As I know this is kind of a boring chapter, I hope you stick around, because it will get better! At least I hope!**_

 _ **As I do with my other stories, here's my chapter playlist, or the songs I listened to to write this chapter:**_

 _ **Doomed- Bring Me the Horizon**_

 _ **Dark On Me- Starset**_

 _ **Night Riders- JIA LIH**_

 _ **Wake Up- Eden**_

 _ **Crave- Tove Lo**_

 _ **And when I got tired of listening to these on repeat, I was watching Ghost Adventures,**_

 _ **because I'm a GA junkie. It's a problem.**_

 _ **Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story so far, you guys rock!**_

 _ **Until next time!**_


	2. Chapter 2

The ride to the hospital seemed to take an eternity, the passengers sitting rigidly in their seats. The landscape seemed to creep by, driving MC crazy. Why couldn't Driver Kim go any faster.

"So he's not at the hospital yet?" Saeran asked from his spot next to her, arms folded across his chest. MC knew it was most likely to hide the shaking of his hands.

Jumin Han twisted around in the front seat to look at him, "He should be arriving there shortly. It's the most state-of-the-art facility in the country. Luckily it is in this city. Of course, it wouldn't have been an issue if it were somewhere else, but it is convenient being here."

"Did they say how he's doing?" MC asked.

"So far he hasn't woken up since they found him." Jumin explained, "They've been working non-stop during transportation to assess his wounds, but that's as much as I now at this point. Amazingly, they recovered the other person that was with him when he was kidnapped."

"You mean his maid?" MC leaned forward, "She lived too?"

"He." Jumin answered, "Seven's maid was a man. Vanderwood was his name, I believe. He was conscious at one point and told them as much as he could about their situation. My source wouldn't tell me what the story was over the phone, so I'm just as in the dark as you are."

"Is the rest of the RFA coming?" Saeran asked.

"Most likely, but I haven't contacted anyone specifically. Aside from you, that is."

"Sir we are arriving." Driver Kim said quietly.

MC's stomach lurched, and she nearly jumped out of the car as it came to a stop at the entrance to the emergency room. Inside, the place was abuzz with excitement, and MC followed closely behind Jumin as he led the way to the desk. Pausing to let the secretary finish a phone call, he smiled warmly as she asked if she could help them, "Yes, my name is Jumin Han, we're here to see Saeyoung Choi. Has he arrived yet?"

"Oh, I'm sorry sir," She looked skeptical, "I've been told not to give any information on his status to anyone other than those cleared by security."

"Then may we speak with someone to get clearance?"

The secretary eyed Jumin and MC, before Saeran stepped up to the desk. He had been mostly hidden behind Jumin up until then, and as he leaned his arms on the desk, the girl's eyes widened. There wasn't a soul in South Korea who wouldn't have recognized his face after everything that happened. He fixed her with a hard stare, but let his emotions out with the same gaze, "Please, Miss, we need that clearance. I need to see my brother, and they need to see their friend."

She cleared her throat, obviously flustered at having seen the object of so much national controversy. Finally, she sighed and picked up her phone, looking up at him as someone on the other end answered, "Hi Daywon? I have three people here that wish to pass clearance for Saeyoung Choi." She paused as the person named Daywon spoke, "I understand, sir, it's just that…one of them is his twin brother."

She hung up the phone and motioned to some seats by the entrance, "Our chief security officer, Daywon Lee, will be here shortly to assess you for clearance. In the meantime, you can take a seat in those chairs."

"Thank you." Jumin said, putting a hand on Saeran's shoulder to guide him to the chairs.

"I can't believe we still have to get clearance even with Saeran here." MC said angrily, sitting down next to Jumin, with Saeran on her other side, "Couldn't she just tell us if he's doing okay?"

"You have to understand, MC," Jumin enveloped her hand with his, "Saeyoung and Saeran have been under so much public attention, that it's only natural that they wouldn't let just anyone in to see him, or even give information."

"But Saeran-"

"It's okay, MC." Saeran said quietly, "I'm happy that they're protecting him like this."

She frowned as she turned to look at him, but decided not to push the subject. He was staring at the floor, his face twisted in worry, and hands clasped so hard together they were turning white. She knew how hard it was for him to be this close to knowing if Saeyoung was safe, but not being able to find out. Suddenly she felt selfish for the way that she was acting. Of course she wasn't the only one hurting, and, if anything, Saeran was hurting the most. He was his brother, the person he loved the most in the world, and here MC was, never even having met him.

It took another ten minutes for Daywon Lee to arrive, dressed in a black and white security uniform. Holding out his hand to each of them, he introduced himself and said, "Now, I'll have a few questions for all of you pertaining to the validity of your identities. I hope you'll understand that we can't just let anyone know the details of Saeyoung's situation. Even you," He motioned toward Saeran, "will have to pass the check, despite your obvious relation to him."  
Saeran's face clouded, and MC stood up, "Is that really necessary? I can see me and Jumin having to pass, but Saeran's his brother! Can't he just go see him, or at least know if he's okay?"

Daywon looked guilty, clasping his hands together, "It's simple, we just have to ask you about your involvement with the RFA while running your ID cards through our system. It'll only take a few minutes."

Jumin cleared his throat, also rising to his feet, "MC and Saeran just joined us last year. We haven't held a party since then, so there isn't much record of them having a heavy involvement. I can give you the roster of the RFA members if that will clear up any misunderstandings."

"Let's walk and talk, Mr.-?"

"Han. Jumin Han."

"Mr. Han." Daywon held out his arm, guiding him down the hall, "If you could send that roster, along with pictures of the members for us to validate, that would be extremely helpful."

Jumin pulled his phone out of his pocket, typing out a quick text, no doubt to Jaehee. Sliding it back into his pocket, he said, "I should have the prepared document for you shortly."

"I'll ask you two to stay out in the hall while I speak with Mr. Han for a moment." Daywon smiled, and then disappeared into a small room with Jumin.

MC and Saeran sat in the chairs for a couple minutes, before the two men emerged again. The security guard smiled at them as they stood, and said, "Thanks to Mr. Han's efforts, I was able to confirm all of your identities. You two were also involved in revealing the scandal last year as well, correct?"

"Yes." Saeran said.

"Well, I think what all of you did was pretty courageous. It takes a lot to stand up to the Prime Minister like that." Daywon nodded his head, "In my opinion, you saved the country."

"I think that's a bit of an over statement." Jumin said.

"It's not." Daywon turned on his heal, "Right this way, you three. Saeyoung arrived at the facility, along with his friend, Vanderwood, about an hour ago. Vanderwood is in stable condition, and he's awake as we speak. Saeyoung, however, is another story."

"Is he okay?" MC asked.

"For now." Daywon answered, frustratingly simple, "However, from what the doctors have said, it's only a matter of time before he goes critical again."

"Again?" Saeran asked.

"They almost lost him at one of the other facilities during transport. The doctors there were able to stabilize him, but his health is seriously declining. From what I've heard, it's a miracle he was alive in the state they found him in." Daywon glanced back at MC, seeming to weigh whether or not he should reveal such details with her around.

"He was found in North Korea, was he not?" Jumin questioned.

"He was. In one of the work camps. It doesn't sound like he was doing much work, though."

They emerged into a hallway lined with bedrooms, a large wooden door at the end of the hallway. Daywon stopped them halfway down, "Saeyoung is currently in surgery, and I'm not sure how long it'll be. There's a waiting room down the hall to your left, and if you take the elevator to the basement, you'll find a cafeteria. Food's not great, but you have to eat. Someone will come get you after he's out of surgery."

As Jumin and Saeran went to the waiting room, MC called out to the security guard before he left, "The other person, Vanderwood, am I able to see him?"

"You'll have to ask the nurse about that, she'll be at the desk right in the middle there." He pointed ahead, "I hope all goes well for you guys. You've been through so much."

"Thank you for help." She smiled and watched him disappear through the doors, before heading toward the desk.

Before she could reach it, she heard someone rasp, "You! Girl!"

She paused, turning to her left to peer into a dark room. There was a figure lying in bed, illuminated in the light from the TV above them. She stopped in the doorway, "Me?"

"You said my name before, do I know you?"

She stepped further into the room, until she was next to the bed. The figure looked like a skeleton, its grey skin stretched over the bones. Their face was sunken in, eyeballs straining out in their sockets, and cheekbones jutting dangerously against their skin. Chestnut locks fell to their shoulders, which shook as the figured coughed. "Are you…Vanderwood?"

"Yes." They answered, "Who are you?"

"Ah, my name is MC-"

"So, you're MC." Vanderwood's voice was hoarse, like he was forcing the sound to come out, "I finally get to put a face to the name."

"You know about me?" She asked.

"The kid wouldn't shut up about you in the beginning." Vanderwood met her gaze, "When things went sour, he told me a lot about you, and his brother. Did they get him, too?"

"Saeran? No, he's completely safe."

"Good." Vanderwood seemed to relax more, "He was really worried about him. Even when he should have been worrying about himself, he was concerned about you two. Such an idiot."

MC pulled a chair up to his bedside, shoving her hands under her thighs, "Can you…tell me what happened? You don't have to if you don't want to relive that, I completely understand but-"

"You don't want to know." Vanderwood's gaze was intense this time, making her shiver, "The things they put him through…not even the agency we worked at was so cruel. You think I look bad? I look healthy compared to him. I don't know what it was, but they seemed to have a vendetta against Seven. Sure they tortured me, but they really had it out for him. They never let him rest."

"Who was 'they'?" She asked, "The North Koreans?"

"No," Vanderwood shook his head, "From what I heard our captors talking about, the North Koreans were just told that we were criminals that needed to be housed in the work camp. They didn't have much to do with us, so I can't really blame them for anything. The men that tortured us were the Prime Minister's men. It was actually the North Korean guards that turned those men in. Apparently, the Prime Minister had contacts in the prison and arranged for us to be there. After shit hit the fan internationally, I assume the warden didn't want anything coming back on him, and that's why he reported it."

"Y-you said you were tortured…" MC leaned forward, "Saeyoung was too?"

Vanderwood snorted, "Torture isn't even enough to call what they did to him. Even I don't know how he's still alive. They made me watch most of it, probably to try and break me psychologically, and what I didn't watch…I could still hear. I'll never forget that. Now I've done a lot of cruel things in my life that I'm not proud of, things that I used to lose sleep over, but now…" He closed his eyes, "Those things pale in comparison. I'll never forget his screams, MC. I'll never forget the smell of his blood."

MC felt as though someone reached into her stomach and gripped her intestines, covering her mouth with her hand, "I'm so sorry you had to go through something like that."

"I know you want to see him, I don't blame you, but you should know something." He opened his eyes again, "The Saeyoung you knew is gone. They stripped, chopped, broke, and burned him away until all that was left was a shell. That cheerful, go lucky 707 you loved? He's not here anymore. They might not have killed him physically, but mentally and emotionally, he might as well be dead."

"When did you last speak to him?" She asked.

Vanderwood was silent for a few minutes, staring into space as if reliving something. After a moment, he snapped out of it and refused to look at her, "I don't remember."

"Did they tell you he's in surgery right now?"

"Yeah, they said they'd tell me when he get's out."

They sat in silence for another few moments, before MC shakily rose to her feet, "Thank you for telling me those things, Vanderwood. I'll be around the hospital a lot the next couple days, so if you need anything, let me know, okay?"

He smiled for the first time since they spoke to each other, "I can see why he liked you so much. You're very caring, and pretty."

She smiled too, "He really talked about me?"

"Like I said, he never shut up." Vanderwood sounded momentarily annoyed, "I think it's what got him through it. I'm speaking honestly, MC, when I say that you're the one who kept him alive. After every beating he took, he'd look at me and say something like, 'did you know MC's favorite color is yellow? When this is over, I'm going to buy her a yellow blanket, so I can wrap us up in it and never let go'. The only reason why I remember that, is because the thought of a soft blanket seemed like heaven at the time. But he was always sappy like that, until he started to deteriorate."

"Do you really think he'll be that different?" MC held her hands to her chest.

Vanderwood looked sympathetic, "It would be impossible for him not to be."

"Well, even if he is, I'll still be by his side." She smiled gently, "I'll let you sleep, you look like you need it."

"MC?" Vanderwood called before she left, "If you see him before I do, can you tell him something?"

"Sure."

"Tell him…" Vanderwood's eyes clouded, and he looked away, but she could still hear the tears in his voice, "Tell him I'm sorry."

MC swallowed the lump in her throat, "Yeah, I will, Vanderwood."

Saeran looked up as she entered the waiting room. It was a small room lined with plush recliners, and a large TV mounted on the wall. One window was in the corner, but only the light from streetlamps came through. MC wondered if the waiting room was so nice because people spent so much time there. She sat in the recliner next to Saeran, noticing that Jumin wasn't there, "Where's Jumin?"

"Zen called him, so he went out to talk to him." Saeran said, his eyes aimed at the TV, but not watching the cooking show playing on the screen.

"The others will probably be coming soon, huh?" She asked.

"Probably." He glanced at her, "Where were you?"

"I saw Vanderwood." She answered, "He looks awful, but said Saeyoung looks worse than him. I'm having trouble trying to imagine it."

"Did he say anything that happened?"

She shook her head, "No, he said we didn't want to know, but he did say they were tortured. When he talked about it, it was like he was still in the camps. His eyes were so sad."

Saeran's hands balled into fists, "I can't believe I let this happen."

MC sat up, crossing her legs in the chair, and put a hand on his arm, "What are you talking about? None of this is your fault-"

"You're either wrong or lying." He refused to look at her, "If I wouldn't have been so stupid in believing Rika, Saeyoung would be fine. He wouldn't be in surgery fighting to stay alive. It's all my fault."

"Saeran, you know that isn't true." MC said forcefully, "No one thinks that, and I know for a fact that Saeyoung doesn't either."

"Of course he doesn't. Saeyoung wouldn't blame me for anything." Saeran covered his face with his hands, "That's just the way his is. He'll say it was his own fault for getting caught, just so I won't feel bad. He's always tried to protect me like that, but I don't want him to. I want him to hate me for this. This whole time…" He choked, and MC saw dark blotches on his pants where his tears were falling, "I thought he hated me for being weak, but he didn't. I thought he hated me for weighing him down, but he didn't. I thought he hated me for being the reason he couldn't be free of our mom, but he _didn't_. Just this once, I wish…I wish he'd hate me."

MC placed a gentle hand on his back, and removed his hands from his face with the other. Wiping the tears streaking down his cheeks, she cupped his face with her hands and said, "Saeyoung would never hate you, Saeran. He loves you, that's why he did what he did. Back when I first talked to him, he would tell me about you. I could tell he was heartbroken over the fact that he had to leave you. Of course, I didn't know he was talking about you, but it all makes sense now. So, don't beat yourself up over this. It's not your fault."

"But-"

"When Saeyoung comes out of surgery, when he wakes up, we're going to be there trying to help him recover." MC said, letting go of his face, "So none of this 'I hope he hates me' 'it's all my fault' stuff. Saeyoung was always strong for you before, right?" He nodded, "Then you have to be strong for Saeyoung. And to be strong for him, you have to be strong for yourself, too."

He sniffed, but whatever he was about to say was cut off by Jumin sweeping into the waiting room. Behind him, Zen yawned and stretched, dressed in a grey zip up sweatshirt and black sweatpants. His messy hair was pulled all the way into a ponytail. MC smiled when she saw him, "Geez, you look like you just got out of bed."

"I did." He plopped down next to her, "I decided to turn the news on right before I went to sleep, and that's when I saw they found Seven. I called Jumin right away to see if he saw it too, and to my utter un-surprise, the bastard was already at the hospital." Zen shot the businessman a glare, "Were you going to call us?"

Jumin shrugged, "After he was out of surgery. There's no point in cluttering the waiting room when he's not even available to see yet."

"That's not the point, asshole." Zen muttered, "Don't you think we'd like to be here when he gets out? We're worried too, you know."

Jumin only crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes.

"Uh, that guy." Zen mumbled, looking back at MC, "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine for now." She said, fidgeting with her sweater, "I'm more concerned with Saeran." The other boy had gotten up, mumbling something about finding the water fountain, after Zen had arrived, "It's really tough on him knowing Saeyoung is in surgery right now."

"At least they found him alive, right?" Zen tried to smile, "That has to count for something. Knowing Seven, he's too stubborn to die. He'll be fine, I know it."

Hearing Zen so hopeful made MC feel better. She could always count on the silver-haired actor to calm her in rough times. He was the first person to welcome her in the RFA, and became one of her closest friends. In times like these, she counted on him to be the rock that held her down to reality. Leaning her head against his shoulder, she said, "You're right, Zen. He will be fine."

Saeran came back a little later, the swelling of his eyes having reduced dramatically. The four of them sat in silence, watching the TV to try and distract themselves from the amount of time passing. Saeran fell asleep a little after midnight, leaning against MC's shoulder, and not long after, Zen followed suit. MC couldn't tell whether Jumin was just resting with his eyes closed, or if he was asleep too.

She wished she could sleep like them, but the anticipation was killing her. She felt wide awake as the second hand of the clock ticked away. Vanderwood's words kept floating back into her mind, about how he could still hear Saeyoung's screams. Goosebumps rose up on her arms, and suddenly she was afraid. Would Saeyoung really be different? Was the loveable hacker really dead?

It was four o'clock when a doctor paused in the doorway to the waiting room. He was dressed in green scrubs, with a blue hairnet still on his head. He seemed to hesitate upon seeing the boys' sleeping forms, but MC carefully stood up, so as not to disturb Saeran. The doctor smiled gently as she did, leading her out into the hall, "I didn't want to wake anyone, I know you all probably need your rest after today."

She nodded, "It's been a long day for sure."

"My name is Jian Yi, I'm Saeyoung's surgeon, and I'll be acting as his main caregiver as well." He shook MC's hand, "With that being said, the surgery went well. Saeyoung should be alright, which is something I honestly didn't think I'd be saying-"

He looked up, and MC turned to find Jumin striding out of the waiting room, "Doctor?"

"Jian Yi." He said, extending his hand.

Jumin shook it, "Jumin Han."

"Everything went well." MC said, feeling relieved tears forming in her eyes, "He said Saeyoung is going to be okay."

"There's still a long road ahead of him, but I'm confident that he will recover just fine." Jian Yi put his hands behind his back, "And it looks like he has more than enough people to help him."

"Doctor, I want to emphasize that Saeyoung get's the best treatments available." Jumin said, "Money is not an issue."

"I will be sure of that, Mr. Han." Jian Yi nodded, "It is good to hear that, Saeyoung will need extensive care. His injuries were unlike anything I've seen before."

"Such as?" Jumin asked.

"Ah," Jian Yi looked hesitantly at MC, as if not sure whether to say in front of her or not.

"Go ahead." She said.

He cleared his throat, "All of his fingers and toes are broken, almost beyond repair. He has numerous gashes which have been infected, and both of his shoulders have stab wounds. His teeth have been pulled out, fingernails removed on several occasions, a few broken ribs, burns both new and old, pretty much anything you can think of he's got. It's not a pretty sight."

"But you think he'll be fine?" MC asked.

Jian Yi nodded, "There's nothing that can't heal. If there's one thing the captors did, it was techniques to keep him alive. That may not be comforting, I know, but it makes my job easier."

"Can we see him now?" Jumin asked.

"Unfortunately, Saeyoung is still out of it at the moment. I'm not sure when he will regain consciousness, I'm afraid." Jian Yi said sheepishly, "I'll send a nurse in when they get him settled."

"Thank you."

MC leaned against the wall with Jumin, both of them still processing the fact that Saeyoung would be okay. She glanced up at him, at the intensity of his gaze, "Thank you."

"For?"

"For helping with the costs."

Jumin waved her off, "It's not like I wouldn't have. Saeyoung may be an annoying pest at times, but he's still my friend. If I have the capabilities to get him the best care possible, I will. I would have done the same thing for any of the RFA members. Even that idiot, Zen."

"Still," MC smiled, "you should be thanked. If it weren't for you, I'd be paying these bills for the rest of my life."

He arched an eyebrow, "Why would you take on that responsibility? You're the only one who hasn't met Luciel."

She looked away, summoning a picture he had sent her of himself. His vermillion hair and golden eyes, the grin on his face, and she smiled, "Because I fell in love with him."

Jumin pushed himself off of the wall, "You should get some rest, MC. I know you didn't sleep at all in the waiting room."

"That would mean you didn't sleep either." She said.

She sat next to him on the wall opposite the two sleeping boys, scrolling through Fakebook on her phone. As she suspected, news of Saeyoung's rescue was lighting up social media. She could only wonder what kind of media circus would be outside the hospital in the morning. It was a miracle there wasn't one already.

About a half hour after talking to Jian Yi, a nurse came in and whispered, "He's all set up in his room if you want to visit. We can only allow one, though. I'm sorry."

MC bit her lip, looking to Jumin. He motioned to the nurse with his head, "Go on."

She stood up, "Thank you, Jumin."

Following the nurse, she held her breath as she pushed the door open.

* * *

 ** _A/N: So I made this chapter a little longer for my absence since the first chapter! Things have been crazy irl, but I always keep this story in the back of my head. I'm currently enjoying Spring Break, and finally found time to update! Yay me!_**

 ** _As always, thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story so far! You guys rock!_**

 ** _Until next time!_**


	3. Chapter 3

Saeyoung was still asleep a week after surgery. Jian Yi had said it was probably due to the immense trauma his body had gone through, that it had just shut itself down to heal. MC was happy that he was healing, but not being able to actually speak to him, didn't help her nerves.

Saeran had come to see him once, spending the entire day at his bedside, and then left. He came back with clothes for MC, and stayed in the waiting room ever since. The other RFA members frequented the floor of the hospital, but MC and Saeran were the only ones who practically lived there. They were now on first-name basis with most of the hospital staff.

The night MC had been taken to Saeyoung's room, she couldn't even tell it was him. He looked like a skeleton, pure and simple. What was left of his hair was a dull mahogany, his skin even greyer than Vanderwood's, and the mask over his face concealed the hollowed-out cheeks. MC had sat in the chair next to his bed and cried for hours that night.

This night found her in the same chair, reading a book by the soft light of the desk lamp on his bedside table. The other members of the RFA had left for the night, save Saeran, who was in the waiting room as usual. The sound of the machines hooked up to Saeyoung started making her drift off to sleep, and finally she closed the book and placed it on the table. Leaning forward, she rested her arms on the bed, and her head in her arms. Glancing up at Saeyoung's face, she willed him to open his eyes. Staring for a few moments, she looked away and sighed. At least he was here, safe in this room with her.

After covering his cold hand with hers, she drifted off to sleep.

The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes, was the ceiling of a room much different than the one he was used to, bathed in the golden glow of a lamp. The thing he was laying on was so soft, he thought it might be a cloud. This had to mean he was finally dead, right? His captors wouldn't let him lay on something so surreal. But as his gaze focused and he looked around, he realized that this was a hospital room.

A mask covering his face blew air into his nose, and for the first time in a long time, his lungs weren't burning. He was cold, unbelievable cold, and lifted his right hand to try and pull the blankets covering him up further. But the bandages covering his hands made it hard to grip the blankets, until he found that he couldn't feel them. Had he lost the sense of touch?

As his eyes scanned the blankets, they met the sight of a woman resting her head next to his waist. She was sleeping peacefully, her chocolate hair falling in waves around her. She was so beautiful that he didn't think she was real at first. She had to be the angel that would take him to heaven.

But Saeyoung Choi knew exactly who she was. The woman he had lunged for for so long, whose existence had been the only thing keeping him alive. MC. She was here, really here next to him. Was he dreaming?

He lifted the hand that was covered with hers, brushing back a strand of hair covering her face. This action caused her eyelids to flutter, and she stirred, sitting up to rub her eyes. When she opened them, she glanced hopefully at him. As their gazes met, she seemed to stare for a moment in disbelief. Slowly standing up, she whispered, "Saeyoung?"

He wanted to say something, but when he opened his mouth, he found that there was a tube in his throat restricting his voice. So he nodded, wanting her to know that he understood her.

She covered her mouth as tears instantly fell from her eyes, and she stammered, "O-oh my, you're awake! You're really-I have to tell someone!" She left the room in a flurry of hair and tears, leaving him not quite sure what to do.

Lifting his hands to get a better look at them, he found that both were covered by casts. Attempting to wiggle his feet confirmed that they, too, were in casts. His head was still foggy, causing the room to swim as he tried to sit up. Pain from his torso took his breath away, and he groaned as he fell back against the bed.

As soon as she'd left, MC was back, along with a doctor and nurse. Saeyoung wanted nothing more than to have her next to him, but she stood in the threshold of the door as the hospital staff started poking at him.

"My name is Jian Yi." The doctor said, "I know you can't answer me verbally, but do you remember your name?"

Saeyoung nodded.

"Do you know where you are?"

He shook his head.

"You're at XX Hospital." Jian Yi answered, surprising him that he was back in his hometown, "Do you remember what happened before you came here?"

The faces of his captors flashed through his mind, and he nodded.

Jian Yi flashed a light in his eyes, making him wince from the sensitivity, he hadn't seen something so bright in a very long time. After putting it away, the doctor checked his pulse, and turned to the nurse, "I think it's safe to take out the tube."

"Are you sure? There's no guarantee he'll stay conscious." She answered.

Saeyoung wanted to scream, he wanted to tell them to take it out. But the man who called himself Jian Yi nodded and said, "I think it'll be alright." He looked down at Saeyoung and said, "This will probably be very uncomfortable for you. There may be some pain."

 _Nothing I'm not used to, I'm sure,_ Saeyoung thought to himself.

Gently removing the respiratory mask, Jian Yi unhooked the feeding tube from the straps around Saeyoung's head. He gripped it and then looked down at him, "Ready, Saeyoung?" He nodded, and the doctor glanced back at the nurse, who was holding a bowl. "Alright, one, two, three!" On three, he began pulling the tube out of Saeyoung's mouth.

Saeyoung jolted as he did, wanting to grip the blankets around him, but unable to do so with the casts. It wasn't painful, but the feeling of removing something from deep inside his body was something he would like to never feel again. When it was finally out, he gasped and erupted into a coughing fit. The uncomfortable feeling had made his stomach sick, and suddenly he felt whatever was in it starting to come up. Luckily the nurse was at his side in an instant, holding the bowl in front of him as he vomited. She put a gentle hand on his back as he heaved more liquid into the bowl, until finally he laid back against the bed. His whole body was shaking, and the pain from sitting up to puke throbbed in his chest.

The nurse produced a wet cloth from somewhere, and wiped his mouth as he panted for air. Jian Yi had left with the tube and come back without it, and smiled as the nurse retreated with the bowl he'd used, "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Saeyoung shot him a look, "E-easy…f..r-" He coughed at the hoarseness of his voice, worn due to both the tube and his cries.

"Try not to speak too much." Jian Yi put a hand on his shoulder, "Your throat will be tender for a couple days from the feeding tube." Saeyoung nodded, another sharp bought of pain in his chest causing him to lose his breath. Jian Yi caught the wince on his face and asked, "Do you need more pain medication?"

Saeyoung nodded, lifting his hand to pat his chest.

"I'll tell the nurse. For now your vitals are all reading very well." Jian Yi looked pleased, "You have a long road to recovery, but for now, you're doing fine. I'll let you rest, but there are some people who I'm sure would like to see you."

The doctor turned to leave, but Saeyoung batted at his arm before he could, "V…Vander…wood…"

Jian Yi smiled, "He's in the room down the hall. Last I heard he was giving the nurses a hard time for the lack of fashion in our hospital gowns."

For the first time in a while, Saeyoung felt his lips quirk, and he nodded in relief. Vanderwood was okay, he'd lived and made it out, too. It felt like a large weight was lifted off his shoulders. But there was still something weighing him down.

Saeran.

Jian Yi had left quite a while ago, and amidst all the chaos from earlier, MC had too. Saeyoung willed her to appear in the doorway, wanting to lay his tired eyes on her again. Maybe she would know something about Saeran.

The person who finally materialized in his doorway wasn't MC, but their presence hit him just as hard as hers had. Mint eyes stared into Saeyoung's golden ones, gazing as if he wasn't sure if it was really Saeyoung or not.

All of his fears leading up to that moment, his regrets, vanished the moment Saeran cautiously made his way to his bedside. His twin stood silently, staring at Saeyoung's feeble body. After a moment, he said, "Your idea of a family reunion sucks."

Hearing his voice, let alone a joke, made Saeyoung's heart melt. His brother, his other half, was safe. What was more, he didn't look to have been kidnapped at all. All the nights Saeyoung had prayed for his safety had worked after all. Their father hadn't touched him. "I'll…do better," He coughed once, "next time."

Saeran's eyes met his again, "I really didn't…I didn't think…" He sighed and pulled up the chair next to his bed, "Saeyoung I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Seeing his brother's downcast eyes pierced Saeyoung's heart, "I'm sorry."

Saeran looked surprised, "For what?"

"Making…you feel…that way." Saeyoung struggled to say, "If I hadn't…left you…"

Saeran sighed, covering his eyes with one hand, "You're really impossible Saeyoung. Really, I don't understand you at all." Saeyoung saw tears slip below his hand, "After everything I did to you and the RFA…MC told me that Vanderwood said you were worried about me getting kidnapped too. Why? I tried to hurt you, and still you-" He hiccupped as he tried to breath in.

"Because," Saeyoung said, "you're…my brother."

Saeran's hand fell away from his wide eyes, and then his lips quivered, and he started to sob as he said, "I really thought you were dead." He cried, "After wanting you to die for half of my life, I suddenly didn't want you to. MC told me everything that happened with you, V, and Rika, and I…I'm so sorry Saeyoung!"

"Why?" He asked, "You…have nothing to be…sorry for."

"You're wrong." Saeran demanded, "I let her brainwash me into thinking you were evil. I was so pathetic back then that I just want to scream at myself, 'How could you fall for her lies?'! I was always a weak child, but I became a weak adult too, and I hate myself for it. I hate that I missed out on so many things because of her! You and I…we were supposed to be happy together, but look at us, we're not happy."

"You're…wrong, Saeran." Saeyoung smiled, or at least attempted to, "I'm happy just knowing…you're safe."

"Yeah, well," Saeran wiped his eyes, "it doesn't change the fact that I wish it would have been me instead of you. You have friends that would do anything for you, and MC…she's really great, Saeyoung. I didn't have anyone that would have been sad if I was gone, aside from you. I didn't have a life, so what would I have been leaving behind?"

"Don't say that."

"I know, I know," He shrugged, "MC gets mad at me every time I say it. 'If Saeyoung heard you right now, he'd smack you', she always says. She's been really strong this whole time. She was the only one who never gave up hope that you'd come back. Everyone says they didn't, but I know they did, even I did for a while. But MC? She watched the news every night before she went to bed. She told me that if she didn't see your picture on the TV, that meant you were still alive. She really clung to that. It hasn't been easy for any of us, but I think she had it the worst.

She hasn't left the hospital since you arrived. She takes showers in the locker rooms here, and even eats the nasty cafeteria food. Every night, she sleeps in this chair, right here next to you. And it's all because she didn't want to miss the moment you woke up."

"She really…?" Saeyoung trailed off, remembering her wide chocolate eyes when he'd finally opened his.

Saeran slowly rose to his feet, dragging a hand through his hair, "Even after waiting all this time, she wanted me to be the first person you spoke to. She really is something. You'll love her."

"I…already do." Saeyoung said.

His twin smiled, and then nodded to himself, "I'm…going to tell her to come see you. I'm sure you'd rather talk to her than me, anyway."

"Saeran." Saeyoung croaked, and he paused in the doorway, "I'm glad…to see you again."

Saeran smiled, "Me too, Saeyoung."

He was left in a silent room, aside from the beeps from the machines surrounding him, for only a few moments. Before he knew it, MC was walking through his door, and she paused unconfidently at his bedside. Her chocolate hair hung stick straight past her shoulders, equally rich eyes taking him in with curiosity. A pink sweater matched her equally blushed cheeks, and Saeyoung couldn't think of a time he'd seen someone so beautiful.

After a moment, she clasped her hands together and said, "Hi Saeyoung, I'm MC. It's nice to finally meet you!"

"I wish…it were under…better circumstances." He smiled, "But it's my pleasure."

She sat down in the chair Saeran had been in, and said, "You've had such a long day already, are you tired?"

"Not really." He lied, in truth he was utterly exhausted. What he wouldn't give to just close his eyes and let the sound of a TV lull him to sleep, but MC was there. She was actually sitting there next to him. It wasn't a dream, or a hallucination, it was real. Everything he'd never thought would happen, was happening right there in front of him.

"You better not be lying." She said with a small smile.

"Never."

"How are you feeling?"

"Sort of like…I got hit by a bus," He rasped, "and then…got drug for…five miles, before finally…getting loose…and then getting hit…by another car."

MC laughed softly, and Saeyoung decided he would do everything he could to be able to hear it again, "To be honest, you kind of look like it, too. It's good to see you haven't lost that charm."

"Of course not…I am the…Defender of Justice…after all." He grinned, but then closed his mouth quickly, forgetting the fact that most of his teeth were gone. After a moment, he swallowed the gunk in his throat and said, "Thank you…for looking…after Saeran. He told me…that you were worried."

"You don't have to thank me," She shook her head, "if it wasn't for Saeran, I would have gone crazy. He helped a lot, and he didn't get annoyed when I vented to him at two in the morning while sharing a tub of ice cream. Believe it or not, that happened more often than you'd think." She laughed again, "And of course I was worried. You were missing without a trace of where you went, and for nearly a year-"

"A year?" He asked, the shock hitting him like a brick, "I was…gone for a…year?"

"Oh," MC's face flushed with red, "I didn't…I didn't know that no one told you…"

Saeyoung closed his eyes, "A year…What did I miss?"

"Hmm," MC leaned forward, resting her elbows on the bed, "let's see. V left a note saying he was leaving the RFA. It was quite a shock, because he did it right after you went missing and we released the Prime Minister's crimes to the public. Jumin took over as head, and of course brings Elizabeth 3rd to our meetings. Yoosung graduated college and is now beginning his PhD in veterinary science. Zen is acting as usual. Jaehee's continued the security team work, and has been searching for you this whole time. Saeran and I have been staying at your house. That's about it."

"Yoosung actually…graduated?" Saeyoung felt a pang of disappointment, "I…missed his first…graduation…I promised him…that I would make it…to his college ceremony."

"I think he understands." MC said, waving her hand dismissively.

"And V is gone?" He didn't understand that one at all, "I'll have to…thank Jaehee."

"She was remarkable." MC said, and then rose to her feet, "But, I don't want to bother you if you're not feeling good."

"I'm fine-"

"You're not. I know you aren't." MC's eyebrows rose with her understanding, "You need rest, and you won't get it with me blabbering at you. You just woke up after all. I'll go see how Saeran is, he looked pretty down when he came into the waiting room."

Saeyoung tried to reach out to grab her wrist, but again the casts binding his arms prevented him from doing so. She saw the movement out of the corner of her eye, and turned back to look at his pleading eyes. No, she couldn't leave yet. "MC, wait…"

"Saeyoung?"

He hid the grimace that the pain from his sudden movement caused, scrunching his face up in a mock grin, "If it…wouldn't bother you, could you…stay here for…a little longer?"

"As if it would bother me. I've sat here for hours, you know." She sat back down in the chair next to him, "I didn't really want to leave anyway. I just…I don't want to be overbearing."

"I've dreamed…of this moment…for a year." He said, "I just want…to keep looking at you." As soon as the words left his lips, he felt himself starting to nod off. He thought that maybe MC's lips moved as she said something, but whatever it was, was lost to his exhaustion.

The last thing he thought of before he fell asleep, was that he was the luckiest guy in the world.

* * *

 ** _A/N: I don't have much to say today other than thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed this story so far! You guys rock!_**

 ** _Until next time!_**


	4. Chapter 4

The bindings around his wrists clanked as his body jerked. He couldn't feel what was happening anymore, couldn't even open his eyes from the utter exhaustion that was dulling his senses. There was no strength left in his body as it swayed back and forth, supported only by the metal cuffs that were digging into his flesh. There was something dripping down his arm, warm and sticky, and he vaguely thought that maybe it was blood.

He felt a sharp pinch in his lower stomach and winced, gasping as the pain lanced down his leg. The sound of men laughing suddenly became audible to him, muffled by the pounding in his ears. Mustering all his strength, he forced his eyes open, pausing to let his vision focus.

One of the men in front of him said something to him, but he couldn't quite make out what it was. As his vision focused, he found the source of the pinching in his stomach. Trying, but failing, to control his panic, he gripped the chains as the full force of the pain from the meat hook in his side, hit him. A chain was connected to the hook, pulling its weight downward, and caused the cuffs around his wrists to dig in further.

The pain was too much, _too much_. He wanted to scream, to cry out, but his voice was so far gone that he didn't even know if he'd be able to speak again. The only thing he could do was gasp and grip the chains cruelly supporting him from the ceiling-

Saeyoung didn't know he was screaming until he was sitting up in a dark room, blindly looking around like an animal in a trap. He was breathing as if he'd just finished a marathon, sweat coating his entire body as it trembled.

The soft light from the TV above his bed, helped calm his terror. He was safe, at the hospital. There were no more captors, no more torture. He was safe.

The door to his room burst open and a man and woman raced inside, flicking on the lights. The man was a doctor, but Saeyoung didn't recognize him, and the woman a nurse he'd seen before. The doctor tried to mask his concern as he rushed to Saeyoung's bedside, "Saeyoung, what's wrong? Are you in pain?"

"My…chest." He breathed.

The doctor explained what to give him to the nurse, and then put a hand on his chest to gently push him back down, "Please lie back down, Saeyoung, sitting up like that will tear open your wounds. Would you mind if I checked them?"

Saeyoung shook his head, still working on getting his breathing under control. The doctor pulled up his gown and analyzed the numerous injuries. After a moment, he put the gown back down and said, "Well, everything looks fine for now. What happened?"

"A nightmare." Saeyoung croaked, the terror from his dream still running through his veins, "It was real, something that actually happened." He mentally touched the place in his abdomen where the hook had been forced, and shuddered.

The doctor gently padded his casted arm, his face holding sympathy, "I understand, but you're safe now. If this happens again, I'll be right here, okay?"

This made Saeyoung smile, "Thanks, doc."

"You're sure you're all right? No more pain?"

"Not anymore after the nurse doped me up."

The doctor grinned, "Alright, then try to get more sleep, okay?"

"Yes, sir." He nodded, and then, just before the doctor and nurse left, he asked, "MC, is she still here?"

"Still here?" The doctor chuckled, "She never left. She's down the hall along with your brother, sleeping."

"Oh, alright then." He said, leaning his head back against the pillow. Stabbing the TV remote with the thumb of his cast, he turned the volume up because he knew sleep was not about to come anytime soon. The sound was really to try and comfort Saeyoung's racing heart. His body was still trembling uncontrollably, and he felt tears pricking the corners of his eyes.

No, he would not cry. He was fine, it was all over, there was nothing to cry about. But try as he might, the tears still spilled from his eyes. He wasn't sure why he was even crying. Was it from relief? Or was it from the residual fear that his father's men were still out there, waiting for the chance to finish the orders he gave them. The tears turned to sobs, and he squeezed his eyes shut to stop them from escaping further.

"Are you seriously crying?"

His voice was soft, but so welcome to his ears. Snapping his eyes open, Saeyoung drug his gaze to the door, where a silhouette was framed in the doorway. They scurried inside to close it, limping bent over at the waist, to his bed. He caught himself on the edge, leaning his full weight on the mattress, "You are, aren't you?"

"I tried not to."

Mary Vanderwood rolled his eyes, his gaunt face slowly losing its color, "Honestly, you're such a baby. You just got stabbed a couple times."

"I know, I don't know what's wrong with me."

Finally Vanderwood smiled, looking over Saeyoung's frail body with his sandy eyes, "You look like even worse shit that I thought."

"So do you."

"I guess we're both worse for the wear, huh?"

"Are you okay?" Saeyoung asked, "MC told me they saved you too, I was so relieved. What did they do to you?"

Vanderwood sighed, a thin sheen of sweat forming on his forehead, and he shooshed him over with his hands, "Move over, will you?" Saeyoung grimaced as he shimmeyed sideways on the bed, allowing room for Vanderwood to sink down into.

They laid in silence for a moment, the only sounds coming from the TV and Vanderwood's light panting. Saeyoung glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, "Are you even supposed to be here?"

"No one stopped me, did they?"

"I don't think that's an excuse you should be making."

"I wanted to see that you were really okay, with my own two eyes." Vanderwood said, "That girl, MC, came and told me when you woke up. She comes to visit me a lot, to tell me the current events and stuff."

"I told you, didn't I?" Saeyoung said with a smile, "She's great."

Vanderwood snorted, "That's the understatement of the year. I'm actually jealous of you, for once. She's totally my type."

"Back off." Saeyoung said jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah," Vanderwood waved his hand dismissively, and then glanced at him, "You really do look worse than I thought you would. I lost track of you after a time there. After a while, they didn't make me watch anymore, which I thought would be a good thing, but in the end, it wasn't. I could only hear what they were doing, and honestly, after so long, I thought you were really dead."

"It's going to take a lot to kill 707." He said.

"707 maybe, but what about Saeyoung Choi?" Vanderwood asked, "Or Luciel? We both know the agency listed us as dead, and even now that we're back, I'm almost positive they won't contact us. You don't need to be 707 anymore."

Saeyoung kept his gaze on the ceiling, "707 is the only reason I'm alive. Without his knowledge, I would have died within weeks of that place."

Vanderwood's eyes were unreadable, "And Saeyoung? Did he survive?"

"Just barely, but yes." Saeyoung smiled, "Only thanks to MC."

"And Luciel?"

"He only existed because of a lie."

"You're a lot more complex than I thought you were." Vanderwood sighed, shifting in his spot, "Here I was, thinking you were just some lazy, deadbeat hacker who got lucky with talent."

"But I was just a lazy, deadbeat hacker who got lucky with talent." Saeyoung said.

Vanderwood chuckled, his eyelids drooping, "Good to see you're still a brat. I'm glad we made it, Saeyoung."

It was the first time Vanderwood had ever called him by his real name. His breathing deepened, and the agent drifted off into sleep, leaving Saeyoung alone with his thoughts. The two had been through something not a lot of people could say they had been. They shared scars so deep that they were unhealable. It was a bond little had.

Leaning his head against Vanderwood's shoulder, Saeyoung suddenly felt the heaviness of exhaustion. Closing his eyes, he drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

MC woke the next morning to a frenzy in the hall. She sat up straight, blinking as she heard voice outside the waiting room. Saeran also stirred, breathing in sharply as he woke up. Venturing into the hallway, she found a cluster of people around Saeyoung's door.

Fear gripped her heart tightly, as she walked briskly toward them. What was happening? Was something wrong? One of the nurses saw her coming, and emerged from the group, holding up her hands, "MC-"

"What is it? Did something happen?" She asked quickly, feeling Saeran at her side.

The nurse shook her head, "No, the situation is under control. We went to Vanderwood's room to check up on him for our nightly routine, and he wasn't there. We found him with Saeyoung, safe and sound. That's it."

MC breathed a sigh of relief, "Oh thank god. I thought something happened."

"Everything is fine."

"I don't see why everyone's making such a big deal," Vanderwood's voice floated out the door, "I'm still here aren't I?"

"Yes, but you need to stay in your own room, you're in no condition to be up and about." A doctor was carefully escorting him out of the room.

"I made it just fine."

"That doesn't matter."

Vanderwood emerged into the hallway, his eyes meeting MC's as he did. Grinning, he called, "Hey MC!"

"Causing trouble so early in the morning, Vanderwood?" She asked with a wink.

"You know me!"

She shook her head with a smile, leaning around a nurse to peek inside Saeyoung's room. He was lying upright in his bed, talking to one of the other doctors. His dull golden eyes were a bit brighter than they were the day before, and she chalked it up to Vanderwood's presence. It made her even more hopeful that Saeyoung would really be okay.

Speaking of those golden eyes, they landed on her, and he held up one casted arm toward her. Her feet were already moving before she could think, and she came to a stop next to the doctor. Saeyoung smiled, "MC."

The doctor glanced at her, "Please have a talk with him, MC. He and his friend are already causing trouble with severe wounds, I'm afraid of what they'll be like when their bodies are healed."

"I'll see what I can do." She said, winking at Saeyoung.

Sinking down into her usual chair, she put a hand on his cast, "You're something else."

"I don't see why I'm getting blamed for this." He said weakly, "Vanderwood's the one who barged in here without asking."

"You didn't tell him to leave."

Saeyoung chuckled, "Guilty as charged, I guess."

"How are you feeling?" She asked, noticing the greyness of his skin getting worse.

"I'm tired." He answered, "My body hurts. My soul aches for honey buddy chips and phd pepper. The usual."

"I'm serious." MC sighed, "You don't need to put up a front with me, Saeyoung."

"I'm serious, too." He said with a small smile, "They have me so doped up I can't even feel my face. I'm okay, MC."

"You used to tell me that on the messenger," She ran her hands along the cast covering his arm, "and you weren't. You were suffering back then, but you never said anything. I didn't even know until Saeran and V told the whole story. I thought I was beginning to get to know you, but I didn't actually know a single thing about you. I want to be someone you can rely on, someone you feel comfortable with, Saeyoung."

His hand reached up to caress her cheek, rough from the plaster covering it, "You are that person, MC."

"Saeyoung, I…" She looked up at him, "Back then, when I was at Mint Eye, I really fell in l-"

"SEVEN!" The door to his room burst open, cutting off MC's words, and a tear streaked, hysterical Yoosung shot into the room, "Seven, you're okay! I thought I'd never get to see you again!"

Saeyoung watched the youngest member of the RFA reach his bedside, "Yoosung, you can use an inside voice, you know."

"Oops, sorry," Yoosung covered his mouth, and then, more quietly, said, "Are you really okay?"

"I'm really okay."

"You look so bad," Yoosung said, "like a zombie."

MC, selfishly disappointed he'd interrupted her confession, asked, "Did you see Saeran in the hall?"

Yoosung wiped his eyes and nodded, "Oh yeah, he was out talking to Jaehee."

"Jaehee's here?" Saeyoung asked.

"Yeah, everyone is." Yoosung sniffed, "Even Jumin."

"What about V?" Saeyoung asked hopefully.

Yoosung only shook his head, "No…he's not here."

"I'm going to go talk to them." MC said, "I'll give you two a couple minutes alone."

"MC," She felt something bump against her hand, turning to see it was Saeyoung's cast. Looking at him, she found that he looked slightly worried, "can we finish our conversation later?"

She smiled, "Sure."

As she was leaving, she heard Yoosung ask, "Did I interrupt something?"

The other members of the RFA were gathered in the hall outside of the waiting room, turning to smile as she approached them. They quietly discussed something between themselves, and hushed when she reached them. Looking between them, she said, "Hey guys."

Jumin cleared his throat, "Hello MC."

The air around them was heavy with anticipation, and she asked, "So what's up? What were you guys talking about?"

"Well, MC," Zen started.

"We were just thinking," Jaehee continued.

"That it would be a good idea," Saeran carried.

"To hold another party." Jumin finished.

"Another party?" She asked, "So soon after Saeyoung just got back?"

"It's in celebration of his safe return!" Zen said, "There's no limit to the amount of guests that would come for him."

"Oh, I mean I guess I could start planning one." She put a finger to her chin in thought, "But I don't want to leave the hospital…"

"I think it would be good for you to leave every once in a while." Saeran said quietly, "You've been here since they brought Saeyoung back. You should get out, or you'll go crazy."

"I agree." Jumin said, "One of us will be here at all times just in case something happens. If anything does, we'll call you first."

"Okay," MC finally nodded, "I guess you're right. A shower and sleeping in a proper bed sounds pretty good. Please, if something happens, no matter what it is, call me."

"No need to worry," Zen patted her shoulder, "I'm on lookout duty until tomorrow morning, I'll text you updates."

She smiled, "Thank you, Zen. I'll be back later tonight, but I'll go home for now."

They said their goodbyes, and she reluctantly left. As Driver Kim gave her a ride back to Saeyoung's house, she couldn't help but think of him. She knew he was hiding how he really felt, just like he had on the messenger. But she refused to overlook it like she had back then. If she would have just paid attention when they were talking, would have seen the signs, perhaps he wouldn't have been kidnapped.

MC refused to let him suffer in silence ever again.

* * *

 ** _A/N: Yeet, I finally got a chapter out! Life is busy, my dudes. I just graduated college and started by new/old job. Now that I'm working full time, I don't have a lot of time to write, but I promise I will work as hard as I can to update within a timely fashion!_**

 ** _As always, thank you to everyone who's read, reviewed, favorited, and followed so far. You guys rock!_**

 ** _Until next time!_**


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